As soon as the poem starts, the reader can assume there will be more to the sonnet than just death. Donne knocks Death off of his figurative high horse with the second line stating “mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so” (Roberts & Zweig). This could be interpreted as death is not as powerful as some make it out to be.
Donne continues on, implying that death is nothing special since it happens to everyone. In line nine